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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Primary education

getting a place in state when in private currently?

12 replies

teleport · 03/05/2016 18:00

Ds is in reception in a private school. Love the school but it's likely to close to getting ahead of the game with state application for September.

A good school is expanding and is going from composite classes to separate year 1 so a few places will be available. We've applied but won't know until after May 23rd. They said all applications will be dated May 23rd and the over subscription criteria will apply.

We probably don't fit the criteria, it's in the next village, no siblings, no looked after child etc so I'd imagine ds would be bottom of the list.

Then someone said to me today he would be higher up because technically he doesn't have a school place (state) where others might but I just thought they would expect us to keep him in private (school isn't officially shutting yet, likely notice at Christmas).

Does anyone know?

Also handhold over the moving. Ds doesn't know, he'll be devastated and we've both finally made some friends here :-(

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PatriciaHolm · 03/05/2016 18:47

The fact he is currently in private school is irrelevant. Places should be allocated according to the criteria, which won't include whether a child has an existing private school place.

If you want a school place and you don't get this one, your LEA will have to find him one; it doesn't have to be in a school of your choice though, it will be in the nearest school with spaces. You may find your LEA tries to delay if they realise he's in school, but they shouldn't, they can't take the fact he's in private school into consideration .

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teleport · 03/05/2016 18:50

Patriciaholm - that's what I thought too. Looks like it's the dreadful, bullying rife primary near-ish us which has a few spaces left in their 90 intake. Poor ds, he's going to find it so difficult.

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Smartiepants79 · 03/05/2016 18:54

Are there no other private options near you. Where will the other children in his class go?
Have you been in the local primary? What are you basing your opinions on?

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teleport · 03/05/2016 19:12

There's no other private options near here that I can access. There is one about 12 miles north which I think others will go to but I work 14 miles south of home so just too far out of my abilities to get there. Most other parents have no idea (as far as I can tell) that the school may close (I've got insider knowledge!)

The local state primary here has a few people I know from nursery days and they all say it's awful, huge classes and lots of bullying. The next village along (toward work) has a nice small primary which is expanding a tad which will be a great option but only if we can get a place. We've only just moved house as well so can't do it again.

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Smartiepants79 · 03/05/2016 22:32

What does the schools ofsted say?
All state school classes will be roughly the same size wth 30 being the maximum for yrs 1&2. If the village school is expanding to have one class per yr group then the class size will be around 30.
Even if you hope not to send your child there please go and look round the school. Make your own judgments.
I wouldn't give up on getting a place either. You sound like you will be judged on how far away you are. Where do you think all the other new children will be coming from? You say the other parents don't know there is a problem so it won't be them!

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MrsJoeyMaynard · 04/05/2016 12:22

Are there other state schools near you with places apart from the primary you don't like? I guess even if you don't get into the nice primary, it's possible that the children who do get the places may free up spaces at primary schools you would find acceptable.

I believe there is a thing called fair access protocol that would let children without any school place get priority for school places over other children on waiting lists who would rank higher on oversubscription criteria - but that's not going to apply to your situation if there's a school with spaces near you that your son could go to. Even if that school with spaces is dreadful and rife with bullying.

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TheDailyMailareabunchofcunts · 04/05/2016 12:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cleo1303 · 04/05/2016 14:33

If you don't get a place at the good primary how about making a commercial arrangement for a school run with one of the parents at the current school who you think will drive to the private school?

You may find one of them will be delighted to take and collect your ds if you make a contribution towards the petrol.

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teleport · 04/05/2016 15:53

Thanks all. Lots of helpful advice.

We will go and look at both schools for sure. The one I don't really like is quite near by. Has a bad reputation, very large and bullying apparently according to friends but maybe it won't be so bad. I'm guessing that's where he'll end up. I think it's the shock for him that worries me more, he's SO happy where he is. It's small, nurturing and so very right for him. The school near us is so different.

The one in the next village would be a happy-ish compromise I think. On the smaller end compared to schools around here and in a quieter area. Hence why it's oversubscribed and the other one isn't!

The other private school is just too far away. I wouldn't feel comfortable sending him there knowing I could never get there if he was ill or for praise assemblies, shows or any problems. He's had a rough start to life so I don't want him to be somewhere I can't get to easily.

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mary21 · 04/05/2016 16:55

Get on the waiting list for the school you really want now. However be aware if they phone tomorrow to offer you a place tomorrow you will need to accept it straight away rather than defer it to September. Although waiting lists are ordered in the same way as admission criteria. Even over subscribed schools do have places come up as people move and others higher than you on the list may now be settled in other schools.
Definitely look at your big local school. Don't bed scared by size. Often big schools know they are big and do things to cope with this. Small group work, different playgrounds for different ages etc.

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Cleo1303 · 04/05/2016 19:05

Just one more thought - are there any private schools near to wear you work, even if they are a mile or two further on? Then you would be closer for emergencies, assemblies, etc.